Kolacky

Various Central European countries have their own variations on these popular filled cookies, sometimes spelled kolache or kolace. Some are made with a yeast dough, others with cream cheese or even ice cream. The cream cheese dough is the most popular for the Polish version of these rich cookies.

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and sugar on medium speed until light, about 2 minutes. On low speed, gradually beat in the flour just until mixed. The dough will be soft and sticky.

2. Divide the dough in half. Pat each half into a thick disk and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm enough to handle, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or spray cookie sheets.

4. Dust a pastry cloth or board with flour or confectioners' sugar. Remove 1 dough disk from the refrigerator and place it on the pastry cloth. Keep the remaining dough disk refrigerated. Roll out the dough into a square or rectangle 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2-inch squares.

5. Place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each square. Pull 2 opposite corners of the square into the middle, and pinch the edges together to seal. Place the cookies on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

6. Bake in the center of the oven until lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. Dust the tops with sifted confectioners' sugar while still warm, then let cool completely.

Cookie Exchange Tip:
The sweet fillings of kolacky peek through the golden dough and resemble beautiful stained glass windows in a cathedral. Play up this resemblance by using different fillings and arranging the cookies on a tray in a starburst pattern.

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Recent Review

beigli, wow...My family always called it Kolache. My grandmother was from hungary, and my grandfather from austria hungary....but I looked up beigli, and it is exactly what my family makes...we do the walnut filling, though I have an alternate filling made with poppy seed. Never tried that as it would cost way too much to buy that many poppy seeds. our dough is yeast and we do not add cream cheese or sour cream. It is butter, eggs flour, and yeast dissolved in a little water. And you are right, it is an all day process, but worth it! :)